Jennifer Lopez recently condemned Donald Trump following a MAGA comedian’s offensive remark about Puerto Rico at his Madison Square Garden rally . On October 31, Lopez joined Vice President Kamala Harris in Las Vegas, addressing the joke made by Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as ‘a floating island of garbage.’ Lopez, describing herself as ‘an American woman’ and a proud daughter of Puerto Rico, called Trump “the biggest adversary America has internally ever had” and accused him of ‘consistently working to divide’ the nation, HuffPost reported.
Jennifer Lopez in Vegas endorses Harris and says of Trump: “At Madison Square Garden, he reminded us who he is and how he really feels. It wasn’t just Puerto Ricans who were offended that day. It was every Latino in this country, it was humanity, and anyone of decent character.” pic.twitter.com/Pn5ayDEmO7
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 1, 2024
During Trump’s NYC rally, Hinchcliffe had said, “I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” Lopez, in response, slammed, “It wasn’t just Puerto Ricans who were offended that day. It was every Latino in this country. It was humanity and anyone of decent character.” She added, “He [Trump] reminded us who he really is and how he really feels.”
As a Puerto Rican, I’m tempted to call Tony Hinchcliffe racist garbage, but doing so would be an insult to garbage. When casting their ballots at the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems all too willing to platform. pic.twitter.com/Wlrulb5ygq
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorresNY) October 28, 2024
Trump in light of the backlash, distanced himself from Hinchcliffe’s remarks during an interview, arguing, “I don’t know who he is…I don’t want anybody making nasty jokes or stupid jokes, and probably he shouldn’t have been there, yeah.” At the rally, Lopez went on to emphasize her connection to Puerto Rico and the importance of supporting leaders who back all citizens. “I am Puerto Rican, and yes, I was born here, and we are Americans,” she stated.
Trump: I don’t even know who put him in. I can’t imagine it’s a big deal pic.twitter.com/9zDwekiEup
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 30, 2024
“You can’t even spell American without Rican,” Lopez continued, adding, “Elections are about choosing leaders who support the people— not someone who stands in the way.” Lopez’s endorsement follows her earlier support of Harris on social media, where she shared posts from Harris’ campaign , highlighting plans for Puerto Rico’s economic support. Other Puerto Rican stars, including Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny, also condemned the comedian’s comments, as per Vanity Fair . Martin shared a clip of the joke on Instagram, and blasted, “This is what they think of us.”
Bad Bunny voiced similar sentiments, sharing a video of Harris speaking about Puerto Rico and recalling Trump’s limited response to natural disasters on the island. Harris stated in the clip, “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader,” referencing Trump’s inadequate relief efforts, including his distribution of paper towels as a symbolic gesture.
Lopez has been a long-standing advocate for the Latino community. Recently, she encouraged her 250 million Instagram followers to vote. She penned, “Your vote is your voice and your power.” As a co-chair of the nonpartisan initiative When We All Vote, Lopez has used her platform to promote voter education and turnout, urging, “Let’s get loud and make sure every voice is heard this election.”